AFC West Notebook: Andy Reid -- Coach of the Year?
Andy Reid coached these Chiefs back to playoff relevancy
The Kansas City Chiefs were still mired in a five-game losing streak this time last month.
That they've turned it around (5-5, 2-1) and will fight the Buffalo Bills (5-5) for Wild Card positioning on Sunday is a testament to head coach Andy Reid's measured approach. In fact, the 2015 season might just be his best job yet.
Reid lost his best player in running back Jamaal Charles, but never lost his team. The offensive line blocking in front of new running back Charcandrick West is Reid's creation -- some starters, some bench players, all working together to erase the mistakes of Weeks 2-6.
This season might be defined by the changes Reid didn't make, though. He never pulled Alex Smith after early-season struggles. Moreover, he let defensive coordinator Bob Sutton smooth out the bumps after three consecutive games in which they allowed 30+ points.
Something eventually clicked. In Week 5, the Chiefs surrendered 18 points in a loss, and they've allowed an average of 9.8 points per game in the five games since.
"A season has its ups and downs, but we never turned out backs on each other and started pointing fingers," linebacker Justin Houston told Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. "That's when bad stuff starts happening."
The Chiefs have weathered their bad stretch. Now, they owe their current playoff relevance to their top-of-the-line head coach.
Welcome to Brady-Osweiler I!
The football gods denied fans a chance to see a 17th installment of the epic Brady-Manning rivalry.
Broncos passer Brock Osweiler brings considerably less nostalgia into Sunday night's showdown with the New England Patriots (10-0). Maybe that's exactly what this Denver Broncos (8-2) team needs.
Osweiler's introduction gave Denver some much-needed stability after back-to-back losses. He was unspectacular (15-of-20, 151 yards, 2 touchdowns) but steady (no interceptions). His presence let head coach Gary Kubiak reopen his entire playbook, not just the pages Peyton Manning liked.
"He's a sharp young man," Kubiak told reporters after last weekend's win in Chicago. "He has a lot of confidence in himself and he should obviously gain some more through this experience."
So should his team. The Broncos needed some time to evaluate Osweiler, an impending free agent, before the season let out.
He's either a cornerstone or a stop-gap option. But the Broncos will get the chance to measure his growth against the AFC's top-seeded team in a game with playoff implications. There's no better test.
Raiders' Del Rio is a year ahead of schedule
Last weekend's road loss in Detroit was an absolute dream-killer. But it's important to remember where the Raiders (4-6) are building from before bemoaning their current three-game skid.
With a win over the Titans (2-8), they'll lock up their best win-loss record since 2011. That's because in the three subsequent years, they won 11 games -- combined.
That's the roster Jack Del Rio inherited this offseason. He turned in into a team worth talking about into November. And more importantly, he turned that roster into a team that doesn't expect to lose.
"We know what we're capable of," Carr told reporters after his latest 18-13 loss. "We know what we can do, and it just needs to be better than (Sunday's performance), because that wasn't good enough."
It takes time to clean a losing stench off the locker room walls at O.Co Coliseum. But Del Rio did it in 11 weeks, and while the playoffs would've been nice, that's an ever-important building block.
QUICK HITS: Chargers RB Melvin Gordon has the most touches by an NFL back (129) without a touchdown... San Diego failed to reach the red zone in any of its 11 possessions last weekend... San Diego would hold the No. 1 overall pick if the season ended today.... Spencer Ware (11 carries, 96 yards, 2 TD) is yet another excellent find by Chiefs GM John Dorsey... Kansas City's All-Pro nose tackle became the heaviest player to score a touchdown. The team named his formation "Poe-Heavy"... Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (collarbone) is questionable for Sunday's potential Wild Card tussle vs. K.C ... Broncos safety T.J. Ward was flagged for yet another helmet-to-helmet hit... the Broncos had at least eight penalties for the 8th time in 2015... Ronnie Hillman (21 carries, 102 yards) benefitted from a quarterback under center, except when Osweiler tripped him... Amari Cooper caught only one pass (four yards) in the Week 11 loss. He had two drops... The Raiders averaged 27 points in Weeks 7-9. They've averaged 13 points per game since.
